Yanmar Battery Water Level Bypass

Difficulty -------- Easy
Time Required - 30 Minutes
Special Tools ---- Soldering iron recommended


bat

A lot of the imported Yanmars came standard with batteries that have internal water (electrolyte) level switches in them. Most of the US batteries do not have these switches. When you replace the factory battery with an aftermarket battery you will usually end up with a light ( usually a picture of a battery with little waves in it) that is telling you your battery is low on water.

What you will need:

  • Soldering iron (hopefully yours is in better shape than ours !)
  • Wire strippers
  • Electrical tape

yanmar tractor plug

Locate the water level plug in the wiring harness that goes to the headlights around the area of the battery. On most Yanmar tractors it should be a plug with two contacts in it. Take a jumper wire and connect the two contacts and see if the "low battery water" light goes off. If not you either have an unusual system or there is another problem.

yanmar tractor wires If the light goes off; Cut the plug off leaving about 1" to 2" of wire exposed. Strip back 1/2" of the insulation and twist wires together.

bat Using a soldering iron; heat the wires by placing the tip of the iron on the underside of the wires. Put the tip of the solder on the top of the wires. When the wires get hot enough, the solder will "wick" into the wires and form a permanent connection. Tip: Do not use the tip of the iron to simply melt the solder onto the wires. Use the iron to heat the wires which will then melt the solder.

bat Tape up the wires and check to be sure the light is still off.